Morris Minor Owners Club

I am having a problem with the passenger door on my 1969 Convertible. When a passenger opens the door to get out the interior handle does not spring back and so I have to manually put it back so that the door will catch. There is a bit of spring force to the interior handle but not enough to overcome whatever is causing resistance so it stays in the open position.

Presumably I am going to have to remove the door card to access the lock mechanism? Is there anywhere I can grease or oil before diving in further? I have some white lithium grease in a can with a straw so I could squirt that in If I knew where to squirt! I have never taken a door card off before.

Any advice gratefully received.

Stephen

I have fixed this for now with minimal effort.

I used white lithium grease in an aerosol with a straw. This particular one WD40 white lithium grease. It is quite expensive but very useful stuff. The grease squirts out with a solvent so it is runny and will creep between surfaces. Then the solvent evaporates leaving the grease behind. Very handy where parts cannot be accessed or separated to apply a film of grease. I squirted grease in through the bolt whilst withdrawing the bolt with the handle and then jiggling the handle back and forth. This has freed up the mechanism (for now at least). I think ultimately the linkages between lock and interior handle need cleaning and lubrication but it works now so that can wait until it plays up again.

Well done. But, for future reference, to remove the door card is pretty easy. First you need to remove the door handle, the window winder and the door pull. Then, starting in a corner, you carefully prize the door card away so that the clip springs pop out of the door, one by one. I use a small wedge of wood for this, rather than a screwdriver or anything else made of metal to avoid damaging the paintwork (something like the little wooden wedges used to keep doors open is ideal).
The only snag is if the door card is damp or the metal inserts which hold the spring clips in the door card are rusty, causing the inserts to break or tear out of the door card.
Once the door card is off you can get a good look at the door handle mechanism. To fit the card back in place, just gently bang the clips back into the door with the flat of your hand, one by one, making sure they line up correctly.

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 10, 2023 10:39 am Well done. But, for future reference, to remove the door card is pretty easy. First you need to remove the door handle, the window winder and the door pull. Then, starting in a corner, you carefully prize the door card away so that the clip springs pop out of the door, one by one. I use a small wedge of wood for this, rather than a screwdriver or anything else made of metal to avoid damaging the paintwork (something like the little wooden wedges used to keep doors open is ideal).
The only snag is if the door card is damp or the metal inserts which hold the spring clips in the door card are rusty, causing the inserts to break or tear out of the door card.
Once the door card is off you can get a good look at the door handle mechanism. To fit the card back in place, just gently bang the clips back into the door with the flat of your hand, one by one, making sure they line up correctly.

Thanks very much. I think it very likely that the clips will be rusty given my damp garage. If I have to do this I will make sure I have some new clips on hand and I will be extra careful!

If the inserts that hold the clips break because they are old and rusty, that is not so much a problem as they can be replaced (each end slips into a slot in the door card). But if they tear out of a damp door card that is worse as its then hard to replace the inserts in a now damaged door card. It might be best to wait for a spell of hot, dry weather so that there is a better chance of the door cards being dry.

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 10, 2023 10:52 am If the inserts that hold the clips break because they are old and rusty, that is not so much a problem as they can be replaced (each end slips into a slot in the door card). But if they tear out of a damp door card that is worse as its then hard to replace the inserts in a now damaged door card. It might be best to wait for a spell of hot, dry weather so that there is a better chance of the door cards being dry.

Excellent advice which I will take gladly!

You'll find something like this useful when you do come to do the job:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111324123752 ... UND41bezYQ

Myrtles Man wrote: ↑Tue Jan 10, 2023 11:41 am You'll find something like this useful when you do come to do the job:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111324123752 ... UND41bezYQ

Thanks I’ll order some. I’ve taken door cards off other cars just never on my Morris.

I have now done this job properly. The door cards came off without difficulty using the plastic trim removal tools suggested on this thread. I was very pleased to see that the door is in excellent condition. I greased the linkage to the part called "remote control" in the Moss diagram which is essentially the linkage to the interior handle. Removing the 4x screws from the base plate of the interior handle enables the plate to be moved forward enough to get the straw of a can of squirty lithium grease in there. I also greased the "piston" part of the lock on the other side that connects to the linkage arm and moved that back and forth whilst spraying grease on it. I took the opportunity to spray Dinitrol corrosion inhibitor in the bottom of the door. This blocked the aerosol straw immediately as it is quite cold today. I warmed the can up in hot water and it then sprayed well. Prior to refitting I wiped the clips over with an oily rag which may help them to come out more easily next time. Pictures just to show the various parts, I didn't take photos after greasing.

Really I ought to do the other side now!...........